Wheel-chain-tightening tool.



A. R. POOL.

WHE EL CHAIN TIGHTENING TOOL APPLICATION FILED 001230. 19l6- RENEWED NOV. 24. 1911.

1,25%,93; Patented Jan. 29,1918.

wimmmlm' gill!!! a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' AUSTIN R. POOL, F WETMOBE,

Specification of Letters Iatent.

KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THORNBURROW, OF WETMORE, KANSAS.

Application filed October 30, 1916, Serial No. 128,641. Renewed November 24, 1917. Serial No. 203,861

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, AUSTIN R. PooL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wetmore, in the county of Nemaha and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheel-Chaim Tightening Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wheel-chain tightening tools, and has for its object'to produce a tool by which chain ends can be quickly and easily drawn together and which will automatically lock under the resistance or tension of the chain and thereby enable the operator to devote both hands to the fastening of the ends together.

With this eneral object in view, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims, and in order that it mav be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1, is a side elevation of a part of a wheel equipped with a chain to be tightened and said figure also shows a tool embodying the invention, in the operation of tightening the chain.

Fig. 2, is a top view of the tool as it appears in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a detail perspective .view of a locking wedge forming a part of the device.

In the said drawing, 1 indicates a' lever curved at one end to arcuate form to produce a jaw 2 terminating in bifurcated claw 3, and said lever is provided with a longitudinal slot 4.

5 is a jaw terminating at one end in a bifurcated claw 6 and bifurcated at its op posite end at 7 to receive the lever.

8 is a pivot bolt extending through the slot of the lever and through the overlapping portions of the jaw 5, and 9 is a retainmg nut engaging one end of said pivot bolt and holding thereon and aga nst one slde of jaw 5, a wedge, comprising a body 10, an arm 11, extending across one edge of the lever, and an upturned wedge point 12 for fitting in the bifurcation 7 so as to lie between the base of said bifurcation and the lever.

A chain composed of two circumferential or ring members 13, only one appearing, are

connected as customary by cross chains 14 Patented Jan. 29, 1918.

and one of the chain rings terminates in f a hook 15 for engagementwith a link at or near the other end of said chain ring, when the chain has been fitted around a wheel 16 as'shown, the inner ends of the inner circumferential .ring (not shown) are fastened by hand asfcustomarv. The chain is then adjusted laterally to dispose the companion or outer ring inward of the axial center of the tire of the wheel. j

The jaws of the tool are then opened to their widest extent by swinging jaw 5 away from jaw 2 and sliding the pivot bolt to the outer or rear end of the slot 4. When thus ad usted, the claw ends of the jaws are fitted to the ends of the outer ring of the chain and the lever operated to impart closing movement, to the jaws to draw said ends together until they can overlap; In this operation the jaws not only approach because of their relative pivotal movement but also because the bolt slides forwardly in slot 4:, and the instant the power applied on the lever is relaxed, the pull of the chain" causes the wedge, which slides forward with the pivot, to lock the jaw 5 for reverse sliding or opening pivotal movement. The operator is therefore free to releasethe leverand devote both hands to hooking together the ends of the chain between the'claws. When this is accomplished, the operator applies suliicient additional power on the lever to relieve the clamping pressure of jaw 5, on the locking wedge, when the latter. can be swung back slightly to relieve the jaws of the strain of holding the chain. The tool is then free to be withdrawn from the chain. From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a tool embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable and I wish it to be understood that while I have illustrated and de-, scribed the preferred embodiment of the invention, I reserve the right to make all changes falling within the spirit, and scope of the appended claims. I claim: I 1. A. chain tighteningtool, comprising a lever terminating at one end in a jaw, a companion jaw pivoted .to the lever, and a locking wedge pivoted. to the lever and fitting between the same and the last-named jaw and when clamped between said parts preventing opening movement of the jaws;

said last-named jaw and Wedge bein adjustably mounted on the lever for sli able movement toward and from the free end of the jaw of the latter.

2. A chain tightening tool, comprising n lever terminating at one end in a jaw and provided with a longitudinal slot, a pivot bolt extending through said slot, at jaw having a bifurcated end fitting astride the lever and engaging said pivot bolt, and a part retained on said pivot bolt at one side of men-nee the bifurcated jaw and provided with e Wedge point fitting flatly in the bifurcation of said last-named jaw and adapted to he clamped between the ease of the bifurcation 1:5

and the iever.

In testimony whereof, I afix my signeture, in the presence'of two witnesses.

AUSTIN R. FOUL.

Witnesses:

Ann PORTER, LEWIS R. Nenon. 

